BOURGES (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Injuries are inevitable for professional athletes, especially those who play a lot of games in their careers for club and country as Emmeline Ndongue has for Bourges Basket and France.

The 28-year-old center went down with an Achilles tendon injury at last summer's EuroBasket Women in Poland, a setback that prevented her from helping Les Bleues in their title defense.

She had to return home for surgery and hope the national team would cope without her and meet the pre-EuroBasket aim of a top-five finish in order to earn a trip to the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women.

After her operation, the French Basketball Federation flew Ndongue back to Poland and she sat on the bench as the team won its Quarter-Final against Lithuania to guarantee a spot at the qualifiers.

Ndongue was so happy that she cried after that 66-58 win.

The French then clinched a bronze medal.

When asked about the hardest part of getting hurt, she laughed and said: "At the beginning I just missed my holidays.

“I was supposed to go to South Africa but I couldn't because I had my plaster (cast).”

As far as missing time on the court?

"The hardest thing is not the basketball,” she said, “it’s missing being with the girls - the partnership, being excited after the wins, being together because I couldn't live that.”

If there was a good thing about the injury Ndongue suffered, it was the timing – even if she did miss out on South Africa.

She had plenty of time to recover, and was able to get back on the court for Bourges before putting on the France shirt again.

Ndongue began playing for Bourges again at the start of January.

She has been knocking off the rust, which was evident in her last EuroLeague Women game at Ros Casares in Spain.

In 28 minutes, Ndongue had 10 points, four rebounds, three steals and a block.

"The worst is over," Ndongue said.

"The worst was the last two months because I was almost able to run and play basketball, but I couldn't really.

"So I was just watching the girls and it was really, really hard because six months is a long time.

"Now I'm back on the court and while I'm lacking (fitness), it's better."

Ndongue is trying to focus on all matters related to Bourges and not to be distracted by the national team.

"Of course I thought about the Olympics (while recovering)," she said.

"But first I thought of the Bourges team because they weren't in good shape.

"Now I'm not thinking yet too much about the Olympics, the qualification, but it is to one side of my mind."

The French women's national team coach Pierre Vincent, Ndongue's former boss at Bourges who left after last season to coach ASVEL in the French men's league, is glad Ndongue is back.

"I hope so," she said, laughing again.

Vincent was in touch to encourage one of his most important and hard-working players.

"The day before I came back on the court to practice,” Ndongue said, “he just wanted to tell me not to be afraid to go back on the court because of course, after an injury, you are afraid.

"He just wanted to be sure I was good and was ready to practice and play and I was really happy to hear from him on the phone."

FIBA